Not A Coward
by silver-nightstorm
Summary: She always knew he was loyal and she couldn't stand the fact that the rest didn't. Note: Some words have been taken directly from DH.


The 1, 2, 3, 4 Seasons Competition; The 2012 Hogwarts Games – Running 1000-2000, The OTP Bootcamp – fear

**Not A Coward**

**By silver-nightstorm**

**Words: 1256**

**Summary:** She always knew he was loyal and she couldn't stand the fact that the rest didn't.

**XX**

**i:**birth

**XX**

She was waiting out in the snow. She was on watch for the first part of the night. Obviously, she didn't really need to watch for much. Her wards would hold out any who had evil intentions towards her and the remaining two in the Golden Trio. Only allies were allowed in.

A twig snapped within the boundaries of her ward and she spun around, stricken with fear. No one else could be here. No one else knew they were here.

Harry and Ron had just returned with Gryffindor's sword and the destroyed Horcrux a few hours ago. She had offered to take the watches for the entire night to keep them safe. But now, now she was regretting it.

Another twig snapped and she jumped as a tall figure garbed completely in black with robes billowing out behind him stepped into her line of sight.

"I knew it," she whispered, her voice pitched just so it carried to him. "I knew you were loyal."

"Always so faithful, Miss Granger. How did you know?" his deep voice carried easily to her as he stepped close. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body and unconsciously moved closer.

"_He_ trusted you. I knew he couldn't have made such a grave error. Not about you, anyway. You're difficult to get along with, Professor Snape, but you're not an evil person. Not anymore."

He lips twisted up into a slight smirk, still merged with his permanent scowl.

"But why are you here?" she asked softly. "If things are as bad as they seem, you need to be protecting Hogwarts tonight… every night…"

"I needed to get the sword to you three somehow."

"The Patronus!"

"It was mine, yes."

"A deer?"

He looked away. It was silent for a few moments, and then he moved away. "I must leave now, Miss Granger. Hogwarts needs its Headmaster."

"Wait!" she managed, grabbing onto his arm and he turned. She stepped up to him – quickly, carefully, shyly – and gave him a quick hug. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for not being on a dark path. Thank you for not proving me wrong."

She gave him a quick smile as his disappeared, confusion all over his face. She rubbed at her tired eyes and only then realized that she had been crying.

**XX**

**ii:**an achievement

**XX**

Hermione barreled down the hallway, all pretenses of stealth gone. She had a disillusionment charm cast on herself, but she knew at this speed that it would do little. But she had seen McGonagall's Patronus and all she could picture was McGonagall and Snape fighting and her not knowing the truth and…

She had been communicating with him. All these last months; secret messages and codes and ink and parchment and he'd been her _ally_ and he was _on her side_ and now he might _die _because she couldn't run fast enough.

She skid into the hallway just in time to hear McGonagall shriek, "Coward! COWARD!" and suddenly Professor Snape was beside her and he grabbed onto her and tugged her into a deserted classroom and she could hear the rest of them thundering down the hall to catch him and…

"Listen very carefully, Miss Granger."

"Hermione…" she interrupted faintly, her head reeling from all the action. "And you're certainly not a coward."

"Hermione, I'm going to jump and I'm going to be all right. Convince them to just leave me be, concentrate on defending the castle. You're the only one who knows the truth now, and you cannot die. You _must not die_. Do you understand?" She nodded mutely and pulled him close into a quick embrace. Almost on a whim, she quickly kissed his cheek and then pushed him away.

"Severus," she hissed, pushing him towards the window as the footsteps grew closer and closer. She pulled out her wand and flicked it, causing birds to appear around her head and bullet towards his. "Go!"

He jumped out the window just as McGonagall, Flitwick, barged in and ran to the window. Harry and Luna followed them in.

"He jumped," said McGonagall.

"You means he's dead ?" Harry sprinted to the window, ignoring Flitwick's and Sprout's yells of shock at his sudden appearance.

"No, he's not dead," said McGonagall bitterly. "Unlike Dumbledore, he was still carrying a wand . . . and he seems to have learned a few tricks from his master."

Tears leaked out of Hermione's eyes as she saw him fly away, almost bat like in the piano black sky. McGonagall seemed to notice her presence and quickly pulled her into a motherly embrace despite her shock at her sudden appearance.

"It's all right, Miss Granger," she said sternly. "You tried you best to stop him, it's all right. Don't you worry, dear, we'll get him."

Hermione just sobbed harder. Everything was a mess because no one knew the truth. No one knew he was a hero.

**XX**

**iii:**a tragedy

**XX**

"Harry," Hermione hissed as he began to move the crate blocking their passage into the Shrieking Shack. Tears were running down her cheeks again and it the light of her wand, they were obvious. She avoided Ron's eerily questioning gaze and hurried out of their little hiding spot to kneel by Professor Snape's side.

"Take… it… Take… it…"

Silvery memories seemed to emit from his entire body and Hermione shakily conjured a glass vial as tears dripped down her face even more. His eyes flicked up to her for a moment and his lips seemed to, so briefly it didn't even seem real, curl into a genuine smile.

"Look… at… me…"

Hermione sobbed as Severus's hand thudded to the floor. They all jumped as Voldemort's voice rang out through the shack and after he finished speaking, she was trembling even more. Harry and Ron hurried to the tunnel entrance while Hermione remained frozen by Severus's body. Ron turned around.

"Hermione?" he ventured.

"Go on," she whispered. "I'll be there shortly."

The sound of them crawling through the tunnel disappeared and she broke down, sobbing over his still form. Slowly, carefully, she leaned over his body and pressed a small kiss onto his lips. She froze as she felt some air pass through them.

"Severus?" she managed, as he stirred slightly. "Severus?"

Pulling out her bag, she quickly took out a bezoar and three blood replenishing drafts. She shoved the bezoar down his throat and poured the blood replenishing potions in as well. Ripping off a strip from her shirt, she bound his neck to attempt to halt the flow of red liquid. Leaning down, she pressed another kiss to his forehead.

"I'll come back for you," she whispered. "I swear I will."

But then Harry was dead and she lost all her hope. Because even if he lived, the Dark Lord would simply kill him once more.

**XX**

**iv:**a celebration

**XX**

The battle was over and everyone was celebrating and they all knew the truth about Snape and Hermione realized that no one had gone to get him yet. She slipped out the door and hurried out to the outskirts of the castle grounds. Turning on the spot, she appeared in the Shrieking Shack almost on top of him. He had moved himself to lean, half upright, against the wall.

As the rest of the castle celebrated Voldemort's death, Hermione sobbed quietly and hugged Severus Snape, celebrating his life.

**XX**

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